This bill amends RSA 656:24 to require that when there are two or more candidates for nomination to the same office, their names must be alternated on primary election ballots. The new legal language specifies that the names should appear nearly an equal number of times at the top, bottom, and in intermediate positions on the ballot. The previous exception for the office of state representative, which mandated alphabetical ordering of candidates' surnames, has been removed from the law.

The bill is expected to have a significant impact on the ballot design and printing processes, necessitating software upgrades and potential new systems for ballot design if the current system cannot accommodate the changes. The Department of State has indicated that these modifications could lead to indeterminate increases in expenditures, particularly for training local election officials and programming electronic ballot counting devices. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 656:24